Identity Safe Classrooms, Grades K-5: Places to Belong and Learn

Every child valued and empowered to learn—this book shows you how! This book is focused on a set of strategies that have a positive effect on student learning and attachment to schooling, in spite of real and powerful social inequalities. This evidence-based book is drawn from research showing that students from all backgrounds in identity safe classrooms learn better and like school more than their peers in other classrooms.   In identity safe classrooms, teachers strive to ensure that students feel their identity is an asset rather than a barrier to success at school. Elementary teachers will learn the importance of teaching pro-social skills and cooperative learning in the context of high expectations and challenging curriculum. Use these strategies, rooted in social psychology research and child centered teaching practices, to build communities of learners in diverse classrooms.  Invaluable teacher vignettes, reflective exercises, and practical advice make this comprehensive guide a must for creating an inclusive, academically challenging classroom where students come to understand the empowering message that who they are and what they think matters.  "In this timely, engaging, and needed book, Steele and Cohn-Vargas describe creative and captivating ways in which teachers can construct identity safe classrooms where students from diverse racial, social, economic, and linguistic groups can learn and flourish." —James A. Banks, Professor, University of Washington Founding Director, Center for Multicultural Education "This timely and pragmatic book thoughtfully lays out a new vision of education with design principles for inclusive, respectful, and rigorous classroom environments that promote expansive and culturally validating forms of learning." —Kris D. Gutierrez, Professor of Learning Sciences and Literacy University of Colorado at Boulder "The authors combine their scholarship, experience, and wisdom in this amazing book. We all want to know: How can we help students enjoy school and become eager learners? Educators, read this book and find out!" —Carol Dweck, Professor Stanford University

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Linda Darling-Hammond Acknowledgments About the Authors Part I. Getting Started Chapter 1. Welcome to Readers Chapter 2. How to Use This Book Part II. Child-Centered Teaching Chapter 3. Listening for Students′ Voices Chapter 4. Teaching for Understanding Chapter 5. Focus on Cooperation Chapter 6. Classroom Autonomy Part III. Cultivating Diversity as a Resource Chapter 7. Using Diversity as a Resource for Teaching Chapter 8. High Expectations and Academic Rigor Chapter 9. Challenging Curriculum Part IV. Classroom Relationships Chapter 10. Teacher Warmth and Availability to Support Learning Chapter 11. Positive Student Relationships Part V. Caring Classrooms Chapter 12. Teacher Skill Chapter 13. Emotional and Physical Comfort Chapter 14. Attention to Prosocial Development Epilogue Index